Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) Research

Latin Name: Pelargonium graveolens

Family: Geraniaceae

The geranium plant has long been used for its insect repelling activities.  Flowers can be planted in the yard, and the essential oil is often seen as an ingredient in at home bug spray recipes.

RESEARCH

The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the species, with a very brief overview description of each article/study.  Research found is catalogued by therapeutic action.  This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use.

GENERAL

• Petersen, D. (2015). Aromatherapy materia medica.  Essential oil monographs.  American College of Healthcare Sciences.
• Lis-Balchin, M.  (2006). Aromatherapy science, A guide for healthcare professionals.  Pharmaceutical Press:  London J Med 2003; 115:586-7.
• WebMD. (n.d.).  Geranium.  Retrieved in December, 2015.  Retrieved from www.webmd.com.
• Tisserand, R. & Young, R. (2014).  Essential Oil Safety.  Second Edition.  Churchill, Livingstone, Elsevier.

• Traditional uses of geranium are discussed.  Scientific research summarizes antibacterial, antifungal, anti-parasitic, antioxidant, and anti-cancer activities.  From:  Asgarpanah, J., & Ramezanloo, F. (2015). An overview on phytopharmacology of Pelargonium graveolens L.
• This article provides an extensive review of research related to the antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-cancer, antioxidant, insecticidal, and anti-parasitic actions of plants in the Pelargonium family. From:  Saraswathi, J., Venkatesh, K., Baburao, N., Hilal, M. H., & Rani, A. R. (2011). Phytopharmacological importance of Pelargonium species. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 5(13), 2587-2598.
• This article provides a review of research on Pelargonium graveolens.  Therapeutic actions include: antioxidant, immune modulating, antimicrobial and antifungal effects.  From: Abid, M., Naqvi, T. S., Waseem, M., & Khan, M. A. A. (2018). CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ESSENTIAL OILS AND PHARMACOLOGY OF PELARGONIUM GRAVEOLENS L. GLOBAL JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS, 6(8).

SAFETY AND QUALITY

INSECTICIDAL / PESTICIDAL / REPELLENT

• Geranium treated bed nets repelled malaria causing mosquitos.  From:  Alipour, H., Mahdian, S. M. A., Rami, A., Abad, M. O. K., Amin, M., & Dinparast, N. (2015). Excito-repellency effects of Pelargonium roseum wild (Geraniaceae) essential oil-treated bed nets on the malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi Liston, 1901 (Diptera: Culicidae).
• Fumigant anti-termite activity was presented by ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi), allspice (Pimenta dioica), caraway (Carum carvi), dill (Anethum graveolens), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), and litsea (Litsea cubeba). From:  Seo, S. M., Kim, J., Lee, S. G., Shin, C. H., Shin, S. C., & Park, I. K. (2009). Fumigant antitermitic activity of plant essential oils and components from ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi), allspice (Pimenta dioica), caraway (Carum carvi), dill (Anethum graveolens), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), and litsea (Litsea cubeba) oils against Japanese termite (Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe). Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 57(15), 6596-6602.
• Eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, and mint showed varying degrees of repellency against the bloodsucking bug Rhodnius prolixus Stahl.  The knockdown time of nymphs in minutes by constituents was 117.2 (eucalyptol), 408.7 (linalool), 474.0 (menthone), and 484.2 (limonene). While the repellent effect was quite lesser than that of deet, eucalyptol was 3.5 times less toxic.  From:  Sfara, V., Zerba, E. N., & Alzogaray, R. A. (2009). Fumigant insecticidal activity and repellent effect of five essential oils and seven monoterpenes on first-instar nymphs of Rhodnius prolixus. Journal of medical entomology, 46(3), 511-515.
• Constituents of geranium oil demonstrated safe repelling action against the mosquito associated with the West Nile virus.  From:  Tabari, M. A., Youssefi, M. R., Esfandiari, A., & Benelli, G. (2017). Toxicity of β-citronellol, geraniol and linalool from Pelargonium roseum essential oil against the West Nile and filariasis vector Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). Research in veterinary science, 114, 36-40.

ANTI-ALLERGY

• Geraniol and beta-citronellol isolated from P. graveolens was effective against house dust mites.  From:  Jeon, J. H., Kim, H. W., Kim, M. G., & Lee, H. S. (2008). Mite-control activities of active constituents isolated from Pelargonium graveolens against house dust mites. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology, 18(10), 1666-1671.

​ANTIOXIDANT

• Strong antioxidant activity was demonstrated by P. graveolens.  From:  Ćavar, S., & Maksimović, M. (2012). Antioxidant activity of essential oil and aqueous extract of Pelargonium graveolens L’Her. Food Control, 23(1), 263-267.
• Geranium, monarda, nutmeg, oregano and thyme essential oils were evaluated for, and all demonstrated antioxidant capabilities.  From:  Damien Dorman, H. J., Deans, S. G., Noble, R. C., & Surai, P. (1995). Evaluation in vitro of plant essential oils as natural antioxidants. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 7(6), 645-651.
• Geranium extracts showed antioxidant and antimicrobial actions in vitro.  From:  Ennaifer, M., Bouzaiene, T., Messaoud, C., & Hamdi, M. (2018). Phytochemicals, antioxidant, anti-acetyl-cholinesterase, and antimicrobial activities of decoction and infusion of Pelargonium graveolens. Natural Product Research.

ANTI-CANCER / ANTI-TUMOR

• The study demonstrated potential for C. reticulate and P. graveolens  in cancer treatments.  From:  Fayed, S. A. (2009). Antioxidant and anticancer activities of Citrus reticulate (Petitgrain Mandarin) and Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) essential oils. Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, 5(5), 740-747.
• Citronellol, citronellyl formate, geraniol and citronellyl acetate from geranium oil exhibited marginal antitumour activities.  From:  Fang, H. J., Su, X. L., Liu, H. Y., Chen, Y. H., & Ni, J. H. (1988). [Studies on the chemical components and anti-tumour action of the volatile oils from Pelargonium graveoleus]. Yao xue xue bao= Acta pharmaceutica Sinica, 24(5), 366-371.

ANTI-DIABETIC

• The hypoglycemic effect of P. graveolens was more effective than glibenclamide. From:  Boukhris, M., Bouaziz, M., Feki, I., Jemai, H., El Feki, A., & Sayadi, S. (2012). Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of leaf essential oil of Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér. in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Lipids in health and disease, 11(1), 1.

ANTI-ALZHEIMER’S

• Geranium oil and its constituent citronellol might be beneficial in the prevention/treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with neuroinflammation such as Alzheimer’s.  From:  Elmann, A., Mordechay, S., Rindner, M., & Ravid, U. (2010). Anti-neuroinflammatory effects of geranium oil in microglial cells. Journal of Functional Foods, 2(1), 17-22.

SKIN  / WOUND HEALING

• This human study showed that a tonic with 0.25% Pelargonium graveolens essential oil was effective in reducing sebum production on face skin. It further stated that excessive sebum production can contribute to skin disorders such as acne vulgaris or seborrheic dermatitis.From:  Kozlowska, J., Kaczmarkiewicz, A., Stachowiak, N., & Sionkowska, A. (2017). Evaluation of Sebostatic Activity of Juniperus communis Fruit Oil and Pelargonium graveolens Oil Compared to Niacinamide. Cosmetics, 4(3), 36.
• Nine essential oils were studied and showed potential to heal human skin cells in vitro.  They included: Citrus bergamia (bergamot), Coriandrum sativum (cilantro), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), Helichrysum italicum (helichrysum), Pogostemon cablin (patchouli), Citrus aurantium (petitgrain), Santalum album (sandalwood), Nardostachys jatamansi (spikenard), and Cananga odorata (ylang ylang).  From:  Han, X., Beaumont, C., & Stevens, N. (2017). Chemical composition analysis and in vitro biological activities of ten essential oils in human skin cells. Biochimie Open, 5, 1-7.
• A formulation containing Oliveria decumbens and Pelargonium graveolens essential oils improved healing of Staphylococcus aureus infected wounds in mice.  From:  Mahboubi, M., Feizabadi, M. M., Khamechian, T., Kazempour, N., Zadeh, M. R., Sasani, F., & Bekhradi, M. (2016). The effect of Oliveria decumbens and Pelargonium graveolens on healing of infected skin wounds in mice. World journal of plastic surgery, 5(3), 259.
• A formulation containing Oliveria decumbens and Pelargonium graveolens essential oils reduced foot ulcer wounds in diabetic rats.  From:  Mahboubi, M., Taghizadeh, M., Khamechian, T., Tamtaji, O. R., Mokhtari, R., & Talaei, S. A. (2018). The Wound Healing Effects of Herbal Cream Containing Oliveria Decumbens and Pelargonium Graveolens Essential Oils in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Model. World journal of plastic surgery, 7(1), 45.
• Patchouli, caraway, and geranium showed antibacterial action against S. aureus isolated from skin lessions of infected people.  From:  Kwiatkowski, P., Mnichowska-Polanowska, M., Pruss, A., Dzięcioł, M., & Masiuk, H. (2017). Experimental Paper. Activity of essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from skin lesions in the course of staphylococcal skin infections. Herba Polonica, 63(1), 43-52.

ACNE

• This human study showed that a tonic with 0.25% Pelargonium graveolens essential oil was effective in reducing sebum production on face skin. It further stated that excessive sebum production can contribute to skin disorders such as acne vulgaris or seborrheic dermatitis.From:  Kozlowska, J., Kaczmarkiewicz, A., Stachowiak, N., & Sionkowska, A. (2017). Evaluation of Sebostatic Activity of Juniperus communis Fruit Oil and Pelargonium graveolens Oil Compared to Niacinamide. Cosmetics, 4(3), 36.

ANALGESIC

• In a study of 96 children ages 3-6, post operative pain was reduced with the inhalation of geranium or rose essential oil aroma compared to the placebo.  From:  MAROFI, M., SIROSFARD, M., & ALIMOHAMMADI, N. (2015). The effect of aromatherapy with Rosa damascene mill and pelargonium graveolens on post-operative pain intensity in pediatrics.
• Geranium oil was assessed as a topical analgesic.  From:  Greenway, F. L., Frome, B. M., Engels, T. M., & McLellan, A. (2003). Temporary relief of postherpetic neuralgia pain with topical geranium oil. The American journal of medicine, 115(7), 586-587.

• In a double blind study of 46 diabetic patients with neuropathic pain, receiving an aromatherapy massage three times a week for 4 weeks reduced pain.  Essential oils used included: rosemary, geranium, lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile.  From:  Gok Metin, Z., Arikan Donmez, A., Izgu, N., Ozdemir, L., & Arslan, I. E. (2017). Aromatherapy Massage for Neuropathic Pain and Quality of Life in Diabetic Patients. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 49(4), 379-388.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

• Geranium, lemongrass and spearmint oils showed anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.  From:  Abe, S., Maruyama, N., Hayama, K., Inouye, S., Oshima, H., & Yamaguchi, H. (2004). Suppression of neutrophil recruitment in mice by geranium essential oil. Mediators of inflammation, 13(1), 21-24.

• Lemongrass, geranium and spearmint oils inhibited neutrophil adherence.  From:  Abe, S., Maruyama, N., Hayama, K., Ishibashi, H., Inoue, S., Oshima, H., & Yamaguchi, H. (2003). Suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced neutrophil adherence responses by essential oils. Mediators of inflammation, 12(6), 323-328.

​ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIFUNGAL / ANTIBACTERIAL / ANTIVIRAL

• Multiple varieties of geranium species were tested in vitro and showed antibacterial activity.  Tested species included: Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus Epidermidis.From:Lis‐Balchin, M., Buchbauer, G., Ribisch, K., & Wenger, M. T. (1998). Comparative antibacterial effects of novel Pelargonium essential oils and solvent extracts. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 27(3), 135-141.

• Klebsiella pneumoniae was highly sensitive to terpinen-4-ol and geraniol was likely the active antibacterial constituent of C. martinii essential oil.  Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) , Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) and Cymbopogon martinii (lemongrass) were three essential oils tested, with these constituents.  From:  Murbach Teles Andrade, B. F., Nunes Barbosa, L., Bérgamo Alves, F. C., Albano, M., Mores Rall, V. L., Sforcin, J. M., … & Fernandes Júnior, A. (2016). The antibacterial effects of Melaleuca alternifolia, Pelargonium graveolens and Cymbopogon martinii essential oils and major compounds on liquid and vapor phase. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 28(3), 227-233.  ​

• Cedrus atlantica (cedarwood), Styrax tonkinensis (benzoin resinoid) , Juniperus communis (juniper) , Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) , Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), Pogestemon patchouli (patchouli) and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) as well as the constituents geraniol and citronellol were analyzed for antifungal activities against Aspergillus niger and A. flavus. Most of the tested essential oils, except not C. atlantica, J. communis, and P. patchouli, showed significantly inhibited growth, and geraniol and citronellol, exhibited additive effects.  From:  Shin, S. (2003). Anti-Aspergillus activities of plant essential oils and their combination effects with ketoconazole or amphotericin B. Archives of pharmacal research, 26(5), 389-393.

• Essential oils from white wormwood, rose-scented geranium and bay laurel were tested against Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli found in food.  Rose geranium was the most antimicrobial and all three showed antioxidant potential.  From:  Rafiq, R., Hayek, S. A., Anyanwu, U., Hardy, B. I., Giddings, V. L., Ibrahim, S. A., … & Kang, H. W. (2016). Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils from Artemisia herba-alba Asso., Pelargonium capitatum× radens and Laurus nobilis L. Foods, 5(2), 28.

• Orange, eucalyptus, fennel, geranium, juniper, peppermint, rosemary, purified turpentine, thyme, and Australian tea tree oil as well as the constituent of menthol showed antimicrobial and antiplasmid activities against the bacteria tested. From:  Schelz, Z., Molnar, J., & Hohmann, J. (2006). Antimicrobial and antiplasmid activities of essential oils. Fitoterapia, 77(4), 279-285.

• Piper nigrum (black pepper), Syzygium aromaticum (clove), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), Myristica fragrans (nutmeg), Origanum vulgare (oregano),  and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) were assessed for antibacterial activity against 25 different genera of bacteria.  From:  Dorman, H. J. D., & Deans, S. G. (2000). Antimicrobial agents from plants: antibacterial activity of plant volatile oils. Journal of applied microbiology, 88(2), 308-316.

• Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities were observed from cinnamon, geranium, cumin, thyme, basil and lemongrass essential oils against the following tobacco plant pathogens:  Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum destructivum and Phytophthora parasiticasuperior. From:  Lu, M., Han, Z., Xu, Y., & Yao, L. (2013). Effects of essential oils from Chinese indigenous aromatic plants on mycelial growth and morphogenesis of three phytopathogens. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 28(2), 84-92.

• Thyme, cinnamon, bay, clove, almond (bitter), lovage, pimento, marjoram, angelica and nutmeg, and geranium showed strong inhibitory action against multiple bacteria.  From:  Deans, S. G., & Ritchie, G. (1987). Antibacterial properties of plant essential oils. International journal of food microbiology, 5(2), 165-180.

• Out of 21 oils tested, cinnamon, clove, geranium, lemon, lime, orange and rosemary exhibited the strongest activity against the tested bacteria. From:  Prabuseenivasan, S., Jayakumar, M., & Ignacimuthu, S. (2006). In vitro antibacterial activity of some plant essential oils. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 6(1), 1.

• Aegle, ageratum, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium, lemongrass, orange, palmarosa, patchouli and peppermint, were tested for antibacterial activity against 22 bacteria, and twelve fungi. From:  Pattnaik, S., Subramanyam, V. R., & Kole, C. (1995). Antibacterial and antifungal activity of ten essential oils in vitro. Microbios, 86(349), 237-246.

• Geranium species showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne microbes.  From:  Lis‐Balchin, M., Buchbauer, G., Hirtenlehner, T., & Resch, M. (1998). Antimicrobial activity of Pelargonium essential oils added to a quiche‐filling as a model food system. Letters in applied microbiology, 27(4), 207-210.

• Lemongrass, palmarosa, lavender and rose scented geranium showed in vitro activity against pathogenic vaginal microorganisms.  From:  Schwiertz, A., Duttke, C., Hild, J., & Mueller, H. J. (2006). In vitro activity of essential oils on microorganisms isolated from vaginal infections. International Journal of Aromatherapy, 16(3), 169-174.

• Oregano, thyme, cinnamon bark, lemongrass, clove, palmarose, peppermint, lavender, geranium, Bourbon, and tea tree reduced fungus in heated footbath water.  From:  Inouye, S., Uchida, K., Nishiyama, Y., Hasumi, Y., Yamaguchi, H., & Abe, S. (2007). Combined effect of heat, essential oils and salt on the fungicidal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes in foot bath. Nippon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi, 48(1), 27-36.

• Hospice patients with terminal cancer had improved oral health with using a mixture including geranium, lavender, tea tree, and peppermint.  From:  Kang, H. Y., Na, S. S., & Kim, Y. K. (2010). Effects of Oral Care with Essential Oil on Improvement in Oral Health Status of Hospice Patients. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 40(4)

• The following commercially bought oils showed antimicrobial activity against multiple pathogens:  patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), bergamot (Citrus bergamia), geranium (Geranium maculatum), sandalwood (Santalum album), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), and lavender (Lavendula officinalis).   From:  Maudsley, F., & Kerr, K. G. (1999). Microbiological safety of essential oils used in complementary therapies and the activity of these compounds against bacterial and fungal pathogens. Supportive care in cancer, 7(2), 100-102

• Rose, geranium, lavender and rosemary oils were the most potent QS inhibitors, destabilize bacterial communities studied.  From:  Szabó, M. Á., Varga, G. Z., Hohmann, J., Schelz, Z., Szegedi, E., Amaral, L., & Molnár, J. (2010). Inhibition of quorum‐sensing signals by essential oils. Phytotherapy research, 24(5), 782-786.

• Linoleic acid from the roots of a Pelagonium species was the most active constituent against tested mycobacteria.  From:  Seidel, V., & Taylor, P. W. (2004). In vitro activity of extracts and constituents of Pelagonium against rapidly growing mycobacteria. International journal of antimicrobial agents, 23(6), 613-619.

• Root extracts from two Pelargonium species were antibacterial and antifungal against tested pathogenic microbes.  From:  Mativandlela, S. P. N., Lall, N., & Meyer, J. J. M. (2006). Antibacterial, antifungal and antitubercular activity of (the roots of) Pelargonium reniforme (CURT) and Pelargonium sidoides (DC)(Geraniaceae) root extracts. South African Journal of Botany, 72(2), 232-237.

• Geranium extracts showed antioxidant and antimicrobial actions in vitro.  From:  Ennaifer, M., Bouzaiene, T., Messaoud, C., & Hamdi, M. (2018). Phytochemicals, antioxidant, anti-acetyl-cholinesterase, and antimicrobial activities of decoction and infusion of Pelargonium graveolens. Natural Product Research.

• Tested essential oils showed antifungal activity against tested fungi.  From:  Gucwa, K., Milewski, S., Dymerski, T., & Szweda, P. (2018). Investigation of the Antifungal Activity and Mode of Action of Thymus vulgaris, Citrus limonum, Pelargonium graveolens, Cinnamomum cassia, Ocimum basilicum, and Eugenia caryophyllus Essential Oils. Molecules, 23(5), 1116.

• Cinnamon, lemon, basil, thyme, geranium, and clove showed high antifungal activity against Candida ssp. in vitro.  From:  Szweda, P., Gucwa, K., Kurzyk, E., Romanowska, E., Dzierżanowska-Fangrat, K., Jurek, A. Z., … & Milewski, S. (2015). Essential oils, silver nanoparticles and propolis as alternative agents against fluconazole resistant Candida albicans, Candida glabrata and Candida krusei clinical isolates. Indian journal of microbiology, 55(2), 175-183.
• Ten minutes of exposure of vapors from essential oils Citrus bergamia, Eucalyptus globulus, and the constituents citronellol and eugenol were very active against the influenza virus. Vapors of Pelargonium graveolens, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Cymbopogon flexuosus were very active with 30 minutes of exposure. Further, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Citrus bergamia, Cymbopogon flexuosus and Thymus vulgaris liquid essential oils displayed 100% inhibitory activity at a 3.1 µL/mL concentration. From: Vimalanathan, S., & Hudson, J. (2014). Anti-influenza virus activity of essential oils and vapors. American Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Products, 2(1), 47-53.

IMMUNITY

• In a study of 105 cancer patients, a six week treatment of citronellol combined with three Chinese herbs (Ganoderma lucidum, Codonopsis pilosula and Angelicae sinensis) had an immunomodulating function, improving lymphocytes and natural killer cell counts.  From:  Zhuang, S. R., Chen, S. L., Tsai, J. H., Huang, C. C., Wu, T. C., Liu, W. S., … & Yang, C. H. (2009). Effect of citronellol and the Chinese medical herb complex on cellular immunity of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 23(6), 785-790.

SEDATIVE

• Lavender, geranium, rose,and jasmine in an aromatherapy massage may exert positive effects on blood pressure.  From:  Hur, M. H., Oh, H., Lee, M. S., Kim, C., Choi, A. N., & Shin, G. R. (2007). Effects of aromatherapy massage on blood pressure and lipid profile in korean climacteric women. International Journal of Neuroscience, 117(9), 1281-1287.
• In a study of 100 women going thru labor, inhaling geranium aroma reduced anxiety and diastolic blood pressure.  From:  Fakari, F. R., Tabatabaeichehr, M., Kamali, H., Fakari, F. R., & Naseri, M. (2015). Effect of inhalation of aroma of geranium essence on anxiety and physiological parameters during first stage of labor in nulliparous women: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of caring sciences, 4(2), 135.

ANXIETY

• In a study of 80 cardiac patients who inhaled geranium essential oil thru their oxygen mask, anxiety was reduced compared to the placebo.  From:  Shirzadegan, R., Gholami, M., Hasanvand, S., Birjandi, M., & Beiranvand, A. (2017). Effects of geranium aroma on anxiety among patients with acute myocardial infarction: A triple-blind randomized clinical trial. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 29, 201-206.
• In a study of 100 women going thru labor, inhaling geranium aroma reduced anxiety and diastolic blood pressure.  From:  Fakari, F. R., Tabatabaeichehr, M., Kamali, H., Fakari, F. R., & Naseri, M. (2015). Effect of inhalation of aroma of geranium essence on anxiety and physiological parameters during first stage of labor in nulliparous women: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of caring sciences, 4(2), 135.
• In a small study of 24 mothers, the intervention was four weeks of an aromatherapy massage (40 minutes twice per week) with lavender and geranium essential oils diluted to 4% in a carrier oil.  Results based on EEG patterns, salivary cortisol and plasma BDNF levels, showed reduced stress compared to the control group.  From:  Wu, J. J., Cui, Y., Yang, Y. S., Kang, M. S., Jung, S. C., Park, H. K., … & Eun, S. Y. (2014). Modulatory effects of aromatherapy massage intervention on electroencephalogram, psychological assessments, salivary cortisol and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 22(3), 456-462.
• In a double blind, randomized trial, anxiety was reduced among women awaiting a medical procedure after smelling a blend of vetiver, bergamot, and geranium aromas for ten minutes.  From: Wiebe, E. (2000). A randomized trial of aromatherapy to reduce anxiety before abortion. Effective Clinical Practice: ECP, 3(4), 166-169.
• Undergraduate students who inhaled geranium aroma compared to rosemary or placebo reported reduced anxiety. From:  Morris, N., Birtwistle, S., & Toms, M. (1995). Anxiety reduction by aromatherapy: anxiolytic effects of inhalation of geranium and rosemary. International Journal of Aromatherapy, 7(2), 33-39.

INSOMNIA

• Insomnia was reduced in 150 elderly participants with aromatherapy nightly for a month of a blend of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), marjoram (Origantum majorana), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) and basil (Ocimum basilicum).  From:  Jezdic, Z., Vulinac, S. O., Racz, A., Kovacevic, I., Sedic, B., & Jadranka, P. (2018). Influence of Aromatherapy on Alleviation of Insomnia Symptoms. Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Open Access, 2018(02), 1-5.

FEMALE HEALTH

• In a study of 120 female students with PMS, an aromatherapy massage with geranium essential oil diluted in almond oil significantly reduced symptoms.  From:  Lotfipur-Rafsanjani, S. M., Ravari, A., Ghorashi, Z., Haji-Maghsoudi, S., Akbarinasab, J., & Bekhradi, R. (2018). Effects of geranium aromatherapy massage on premenstrual syndrome: A clinical trial. International journal of preventive medicine, 9.
• Lemongrass, palmarosa, lavender and rose scented geranium showed in vitro activity against pathogenic vaginal microorganisms.  From:  Schwiertz, A., Duttke, C., Hild, J., & Mueller, H. J. (2006). In vitro activity of essential oils on microorganisms isolated from vaginal infections. International Journal of Aromatherapy, 16(3), 169-174.
• The group of menopausal women who received an aromatherapy massage on the abdomen, back and arms with lavender, rose geranium, rose and jasmine in almond and primrose oils once a week for 8 weeks had reduced symptoms compared to the nontreated group.  From:  Hur, M. H., Yang, Y. S., & Lee, M. S. (2008). Aromatherapy massage affects menopausal symptoms in Korean climacteric women: a pilot-controlled clinical trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 5(3), 325-328.
• In a study of 180 postmenopausal women ages 45-55, taking 40 mg of a Ginkgo biloba tablet and 2-3 drops of aroma of geranium, rose, fennel, and lavender 3 times a day for 6 weeks reduced sexual disfunction compared to the placebo, gingko only, and aromatherapy only groups.  From:  Malakouti, J., Jabbari, F., Jafarabadi, M. A., Javadzadeh, Y., & Khalili, A. F. (2017). The impact of ginkgo biloba tablet and aromatherapy inhaler combination on sexual function in females during postmenopausal period: A double-blind randomized controlled trial. Int J Womens Health Reprod Sci, 5, 129-136.
• In a study of 87 menopausal women, 30-minute aromatherapy sessions twice a week for 4 weeks resulted in reduced phsychological symptoms.  Aromatherapy included lavender, geranium, rose, and rosemary essential oils at a ratio of 4:2:1:1 that were diluted to 3% in a blend of 90% almond and 10% primrose carrier oils.  From:  Taavoni, S., Darsareh, F., Joolaee, S., & Haghani, H. (2013). The effect of aromatherapy massage on the psychological symptoms of postmenopausal Iranian women. Complementary therapies in medicine, 21(3), 158-163.
• In a study 0f 32 Korean high school girls, a massage with clary sage, marjoram, cinnamon, ginger, and geranium in a base of almond oil helped reduce menstrual pains.  From:  Hur, M. H., Lee, M. S., Seong, K. Y., & Lee, M. K. (2012). Aromatherapy massage on the abdomen for alleviating menstrual pain in high school girls: a preliminary controlled clinical study. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine, 2012.

By: Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 5/7/2022